Churches Prepare For Homelessness Action

Churches around the UK are preparing for a week of action and awareness raising on poverty and homelessness.

Across the country prayer services, sleep outs, and other events are planned, as part of Poverty & Homelessness Action Week, which takes place from 28 January to 5 February.

In 2011 over 160 events took place as part of the national week of action, which was instigated in 2008.

And this year there are likely to be even more, from discussions and conferences to large scale ‘sleep outs’ such as the numerous Sleep Easy events being coordinated by YMCAs around the country.

There will also be flash mobs, fairs, and arts events, including an afternoon of music, poetry and readings from the homeless community in Cambridge.

Alison Gelder, Director of Housing Justice said: "In these difficult economic time it is really heartening to see so many Christians recognising the problems faced by their fellow citizens and gearing up to take action to break barriers and create lasting change."

The week is being jointly co-ordinated by Church Action on Poverty, Housing Justice, and Scottish Churches Housing Action, a host of resources are available on the action week website, for churches or groups keen to participate in the week.

To see what’s going on, register a project, or find out how you can be involved, visit the action week website, find the campaign on Facebook (Poverty and Homelessness Action Week), or follow it on Twitter (@phactionweek).

SIMON CROSS

This article was written and published by Simon Cross for Christian.co.uk